Coming Home
by Sparkly Faerie
Summary: AU oneshot series where Sasuke's mission ended early. / 2. Looking Forward: He's been home six months when Sarada brings up the question. "Now that Papa's home am I going to get a brother or sister?"
1. Coming Home

**Because screw canon, all three of them deserved better.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. All rights to Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the other proper entities.

 **Summary:** She finds Sasuke holding their daughter while she sobs against his chest. He's murmuring to her—" _I'm here. I'm sorry. I'm here._ "

 **Rating:** T (some nudity and suggestive themes)

 **Genre:** Family/Romance

 **Pairings:** SasuSaku

* * *

 **Coming Home**

Sakura is putting a fussy four year old Sarada to bed when someone knocks at her front door. Sighing, wondering who is turning up at her house at six thirty in the evening, she abandons her task in favour of opening the front door and greeting her ill-timed guest.

She knows it's the real Naruto as soon as she sets eyes on him. He didn't send a clone. He's panting, likely having pushed beyond his usual speed to get to her door as fast as possible, clutching at the doorframe excitedly. He's grinning from ear to ear and her heart stutters at the look in his eyes.

There's only one thing it could possibly mean.

"Is…" she breathes, unable to stop the hope swelling in her chest, "is he…?"

"He walked in the office doors five minutes ago." Naruto confirms. "He has to report to the Kakashi-sensei first, but…"

"Naruto-oji-chan!" Sarada has poked her head into the genkan curiously at the voices in the doorway. She flies at him, and he stoops to catch her. "Mama was trying to make me go to bed." The little girl stage-whispers at him.

Sakura is in too much shock to pay attention to them, trying to fight every impulse she has to _fly_ to the Hokage's office. She tells herself that he'll be home soon. She can't leave Sarada behind. That would be irresponsible.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto puts a hand on her shoulder, shaking her out of her thoughts. "Go, I'll watch Sarada-chan for a little."

She's gone before he finishes.

Sarada leans out the door to watch her mother's retreating form leap across the rooftops, eyes wide. "Naruto-oji-chan, is Mama okay?" She peers back at him. "She didn't even put shoes on."

"Yeah, she's okay." Naruto ruffles her hair, and she giggles even as she bats his hand away in protest. "She's just excited."

"Why?" Sarada blinks up at him, dark eyes filled with curiosity.

Naruto grins, stooping down to pick her up. "You'll see soon. Now, you said it was your bedtime?"

* * *

Sakura's hair is wild and windswept, streaming out behind her like a banner as she flies, sock-clad feet slipping here and there on the odd roof tile. She barely notices, eyes on the Hokage Tower in the distance, zeroing in on the open window on the top floor. Kakashi never leaves it open. Ever. Which means he's expecting her.

And then she's crouched in that window, catlike eyes sweeping the room before settling on one particular man.

Her heart turns over in her chest.

He must note the Hokage's attention shifting away from him, because he turns on the spot, and his single visible eye widens at the sight of her. And then she has flown across the room, scattering a stack of paperwork in her haste, but she doesn't care because he's _here_ and her face is buried in his chest and his arm has snaked around her. She trembles in his embrace, but he doesn't say anything. He just tightens his arm when hers snake around his waist.

She wets his shirt with her tears while the two men speak. She's dimly aware that they're going on with their debriefing, carrying on as if there _isn't_ a quietly sobbing woman attached to one of them, and it makes her smile.

"Alright." Kakashi says eventually, leaning forward in his chair. "You'd better take your wife home, Sasuke." His voice is warm, and when Sakura turns her head to peek at him through the curtain of her hair, she can see he's smiling. "Go home. Rest. You're on official leave for the next… I don't know. Three months? At least? Though, you might want to find Sakura a pair of shoes downstairs. I doubt her socks will survive the walk."

"Tch, annoying woman. You couldn't stop to put shoes on?" Sasuke's words are cutting, but the tone is openly affectionate, and warmth blossoms in her chest. "Where's Sarada?"

"At home." She slowly detangles herself from him, and his arm slips from her waist. She can still feel the warmth of it as she peers up into his dark gaze, still so familiar even after nearly three years apart. "Naruto offered to stay with her."

Sasuke nods. "If that's all…" he directs to Kakashi, who shakes his head.

"That will do for now. Anything else you can think of you can write down in your official report." Kakashi waves them off. "Go. Your little girl is waiting."

Sasuke doesn't need to be told twice. He turns and stalks from the room, and—unwilling to let him out of her sight—Sakura follows closely behind. They make a brief stop at the gear station to get a pair of sandals for Sakura on the ground floor before they walk out the front doors.

"Have you eaten?" Sakura asks him, seeing him hesitate. "I've had dinner already, but we can stop and get you something."

He shakes his head. "I just want to see Sarada." He says in a low voice, eyes turned in the direction of their home.

The admission makes her want to sob, and she blinks away tears. Such a thing would never have crossed his lips when they were younger; it was a mark of how far he'd come since he was that sad, angry child that he would say such a thing out loud. "Then let's roof hop." She suggests, squeezing his hand as she moves toward the nearest building.

She keeps pace with him as he leaps from roof to roof, his eyes trained ever forward. She steals glances at him as they travel, and her heart thuds in her mouth; she'd missed him _so much_.

They land and make the last few feet on the ground, Sakura hurrying up the stairs to open the front door. "Sarada?" She calls as she slips her borrowed sandals off.

Naruto slips into the hall, finger to his lips. "She's asleep." He whispers, coming close. "She tried to wait up, but she crashed about fifteen minutes ago." He grins and clamps a hand down on Sasuke's shoulder. "It's good to see you, Teme."

"Hn."

"Should I tell Hinata you're not coming tomorrow?" Naruto asks Sakura, grinning. He's noticed the red rimming her eyes and the wide smile on her face, and the way she can't stop looking at her husband.

"Yeah. Thanks." Sakura nods. "We'll probably stay in all day." She looks to Sasuke for confirmation.

"What's tomorrow?" He looks down at her, brows furrowed, trying to remember if there's an important date he's forgotten about.

"Nothing important." She slips her hand into his and laces their fingers together. His grip tightens around hers reflexively. "She just invited me to bring Sarada over for a playdate with Boruto. We can reschedule."

"Then, I'll see you." Naruto sweeps past them, bending down to pull his shoes on. When he stands, he pokes a finger into Sasuke's chest. "You have to come over soon though, yeah? Team dinner at my place. I'll drag Sai and Kakashi-sensei over too."

"We haven't been a team for over a decade." Sasuke reminds him, but he doesn't decline.

Naruto waves his hand around. "Details. Call me." He lets himself out the door, and leaves husband and wife in silence.

"Is she still in the same room?" Sasuke asks after a beat. Sakura nods, and they pad silently down the hall and slowly open Sarada's bedroom door. She's breathing evenly in the darkness. Sakura is proud that her little girl is the first among the kids in her social group to sleep without a nightlight.

Sasuke glides over to the bed and sits on the edge as gently as he can manage. She watches from the doorway as he runs his hand over Sarada's dark little head, careful not to wake her, and she feels tears in her eyes again at the look on his face. It's one of such rapt adoration that it breaks her heart, thinking about how she would feel if she'd been forced away from her baby for nearly three years. She couldn't do it. She would not be physically capable.

He sits there for a little while, just staring at their daughter. Then, just as quietly, he stands and pads out of the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

"She's grown." He says in a low voice.

"It's been a long time." Sakura says gently, reaching up to place her palms on his chest. She can feel his heartbeat through his shirt as he looks down at her intently. She's suddenly aware that they're alone, save for the sleeping little girl on the opposite side of the door, and a blush spreads across her cheeks at the look in his eyes.

He reaches for her, and she presses herself against him eagerly, reaching up at the same time he leans down, and suddenly they're kissing. The world falls away as she clutches at him, barely willing to break apart for air before pressing up to meet his lips again. And then they're stumbling back toward their bedroom, hands tugging at clothing and her lips on his jaw and his lips on her neck, and she whispers that she missed him.

 _Oh_ , how she had missed him.

* * *

Sakura wakes to a scream the next morning. Her eyes fly open and she's down the hall and standing in Sarada's doorway, eyes sweeping the room, searching for the threat. The loose nightgown she'd pulled on before going to sleep flutters around her thighs.

She finds Sasuke on the edge of the bed, holding their daughter while she sobs, wild and unrestrained, against his chest. The tension in her eases as she drinks in the sight of his face buried in her dark hair; she can hear him murmuring to her—" _I'm here. I'm sorry. I'm here._ "—and her heartbeat returns to normal. Sasuke notices her first, eyes lifting to rest on her. They're almost glassy, though she doubts he'll actually cry.

"Mama!" Sarada turns around when she feels her father pull back. "Mama, Papa's home!"

Sakura smiles, crossing the room and sitting on Sarada's other side. "I know." She says, pressing a kiss to Sarada's forehead. "He came home while you were sleeping." And then, because Sasuke's only arm is wrapped securely around the little girl, Sakura takes it upon herself to reach around them both and crush them into a group hug, giving them a squeeze. "Now, come on. Up and dressed, and then I'll make breakfast."

"Can Papa help me?" Sarada asks, pleading eyes on her mother.

She smiles indulgently. "I thought you wanted to dress yourself?" She had been pitching fits in the mornings for the past few weeks, wanting to choose her own outfits and dress herself.

Sarada lifts her proud little chin. "I don't mind if it's Papa." She declares, and Sakura laughs.

"Well, if it's okay with Papa." She asks him a question with her eyes, and he nods. "Then I suppose I'll go make breakfast." She kisses Sarada's temple again before standing. She looks back over her shoulder once to see Sasuke gravely considering Sarada's closet while the little girl points to the options she wants him to choose between. He must sense her gaze, because he looks at her from the corner of his eye, and his lips twitch into a tiny little smile.

* * *

Sarada's excitement is infectious. For the whole morning, everything is _Papa this_ and _Papa that_. She wants to show him everything; she brings out her favourite books, and her favourite toys, and she tells him all about her friends and how she's going to start at the Academy next year and become a doctor just like Mama. He sits across from her at the table, listening with the same gravity as he would in the Hokage's office while she draws, asking small questions here and there when she mentions a name he's not familiar with—not all of their friends' children had been born yet when he'd left the village, or had been so new that he'd only have heard their names a handful of times before he'd had to go.

Sakura hums to herself in the kitchen after lunch, washing the dishes while Sasuke puts Sarada down for a nap. She's been slowly working up to stopping the naps in preparation for the Academy, but Sarada's excitement has worn her out, and Sakura sighs happily into the quiet.

"She's asleep." Sasuke says when he slips into the room. He looks at the dishes drying in the rack and frowns; if he'd had two arms, Sakura was almost positive he'd have picked up the dish towel and begun to dry them. Instead, he leans against the wall with a hand in his pocket and watches her. "How long has she needed glasses?"

Sakura freezes, soap suds sliding off the plate in her hand. Slowly, carefully, she puts the dish back into the hot water and dries her hands on her apron. "Since about two weeks after you left." She says cautiously, watching his confused frown.

"She wasn't having vision troubles when I last saw her." He says.

"No, she wasn't." She agrees. "It happened… suddenly."

"What did?" There's an edge to his voice that tells her that she'd _better_ not hide anything from him.

Sakura sighs, leaning back against the counter and turning to him fully. She holds her hands behind her and looks up into his face. "Her Papa disappeared." She says gently. "No one could tell her where he went, or when he was coming back. She was… inconsolable." She watches his face morph into shock, and then understanding, and then crushing guilt. He knew, better than anyone, what happened when an Uchiha had an intensely strong emotion reaction. "It's not your fault." She says gently. "You couldn't have predicted it."

He growls, his hand flying up to fist in his hair. "She thought I abandoned her." He hisses into the quiet. "I just _left_ , and the sharingan…"

"It manifested after five days." Sakura reaches out to him, and he jerks away from her. Unperturbed, she reaches up and pulls his arm down. "She couldn't control it, and no one knew how to help her. It was active for a week." She steps further into his personal bubble, and peers up into his mismatched eyes. "She developed a high fever from the chakra exhaustion. When she woke up it was gone, but her vision was damaged beyond repair. She'll need glasses for the rest of her life."

He snarls and pushes her away, stalking out of the kitchen and out the back door. She flies after him and grabs him by the arm, feeling his quivering. He's angry, _so_ angry, but at himself, not her.

"It's _not_ your fault." She tells him sternly. "You _had_ to go. There was no way we could have risked another incident like Kaguya."

"Don't you _dare_ ," he snarls, "tell me that it's not my fault." He rips his arm out of her hold, and begins to pace in agitation. "I should have known." His hisses. "I should have waited until she was older and could understand. I _hurt_ her, and—"

"And now you have the chance to make up for it." Sakura tells him firmly. She doesn't reach out for him again. "She's so young, Sasuke, and _so_ happy you're home. When she's older, she'll barely remember the time you weren't here."

"And when she asks why she needs glasses and we don't?" He stops his pacing, but he refuses to look at her.

Sakura sighs. "Then we'll tell her the truth. She's a smart kid, Sasuke. When she's old enough, she'll understand." Cautiously, she reaches out and grasps the loose fabric on the back of his shirt. "Please, don't be angry when she wakes up." She whispers to his back. "You've only just gotten home, and…"

She hears him sigh. "I need a few minutes." He finally says after a moment, and she slowly lets go of him. "I'll be back before she wakes up."

She lets him leave the yard, tearing off toward the copse of trees just beyond the walls of the village. Sighing, she goes back indoors to finish her dishes.

* * *

He returns half an hour later. His clothing is filthy and his hand is bleeding, and she bites back a sob as she tenderly washes the broken knuckles under the faucet. If she has to guess, based on the bark in the grazes, he's spent the past twenty minutes or so punching a tree somewhere.

"Do you feel better?" She asks gently as she heals the fractures. When she's done, he takes his hand back and flexes his fingers experimentally.

"Yeah." His voice is hoarse, and she wonders if he has been screaming. "I should… take a bath." He says slowly, rising.

"Okay." She presses her lips into a line and watches him. She wants to ask if she can join him—she still hasn't bathed since the previous morning—but thinks that maybe he needs more time alone. But when he stops in the doorway and reaches his hand out to her, she takes it with a smile.

She feels like she's floating as he leads her through the house and into the bathroom. She fiddles with the taps in the tub while he strips himself off, tossing his clothing into the hamper before settling on the bathing stool. They have a traditional bathroom—he reaches for the washing bucket and extendable showerhead as she strips and stands in front of him with a cheeky smile.

She's not expecting him to accidentally spray her with the water, and she yelps at the cold.

"Oooh, that's it!" She declares, laughing, reaching for the showerhead. Since she's standing, she's at an advantage, but as soon as she closes her fingers around it, he pulls her onto his lap.

Despite the fact that they're both naked, the kiss he gives her is chaste and sweet. She sighs happily against his mouth as she shifts to get comfortable on his knees, and rests her head on his shoulder when the kiss ends. She can feel his heart beating, steady and relaxed, under her hand as they wait for the tub to fill.

"Don't let me hurt her again." He whispers against her hair, sounding small and desperate.

"Anata, you're her father, no matter how long you've been away." She chides softly, pressing her lips to his jaw. "You'd move mountains for her, if you could. I don't think you're capable of intentionally hurting her."

His grip tightens on her hip. "I wasn't talking about intentionally."

She presses herself tighter against him. "Everything will be okay." She reaches up to brush his hair out of his face. The rinnegan peers at her. It's proof, she thinks. Proof that he's a good man; a hero. Proof that he will make sure the world they live in is safe as can be, and that he will look after them until his last breath. "I promise."


	2. Looking Forward

**This was originally going to be a standalone oneshot. But then I had** _ **ideas**_ **.**

* * *

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. All rights to Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the other proper entities.

 **Summary:** He's been home six months when Sarada brings up the question. "Now that Papa's home am I going to get a brother or sister?"

 **Rating:** T (suggestive themes)

 **Genre:** Family/Romance

 **Pairings:** SasuSaku

* * *

 **Looking Forward**

He's been home six months when Sarada brings up the question.

"Now that Papa's home am I going to get a brother or sister?"

Sakura blinks at her dumbly, her mouth parting in a surprised little ' _o_ '. The last time she'd asked about brothers and sisters was eight months before, when they'd found out that Hinata was pregnant again, and Sakura had said something vague about needing Papa's permission for that. Now that little Himawari was born a few days ago, it appears that the question is back in the little girl's mind.

"I don't know." She eventually says slowly. "We haven't talked about it." Which is true. There has been so much to get in order regarding Sasuke's recent return to Konoha that they haven't even discussed the prospect of more children. "Why?" She gauges. "Do you want one?"

Sarada frowns a little while she thinks. The look is so reminiscent of the look Sasuke sometimes gets when contemplating a difficult puzzle that Sakura has to smile. "It might be nice." She eventually settles on. "Boruto seems to like his little sister."

Sakura laughs. "Well, if _Boruto_ likes his little sister it can't be all that bad, can it?" She pokes Sarada on the belly, earning a giggle from the little girl. "I'll ask Papa about it when he gets home."

Sasuke has started taking missions again. They're usually local—bandits in the woods, a nukenin spotted in this particular area, this farming village was being harassed by some dangerous wild animal. The longest he's been gone since his return was a week, and that was only due to a freak blizzard that snowed him into a cave for two days. He'd grumbled a little about it when he got home in the early hours of the morning and stalked straight into the bathroom to wash the mud out of his hair, but his bad mood had been forgotten when he'd come out to find Sarada sitting in the hall waiting for him.

He's currently part of a detail to escort Gaara back to Suna after trade negotiations between the Hokage and Kazekage, and is due back either tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on the weather. Sakura is glad that the anxiety that Sarada has been feeling during his overnight missions is starting to fade now that Sasuke is coming home every time. There is still some part of the little girl that, Sakura supposes, is worried that he'll disappear forever every time he steps out of the village gates.

He arrives at nine that evening, long after Sarada has gone to bed, sighing as he collapses onto the couch next to Sakura, where she is reading a textbook on children's psychology. He knows she has every intention of going back to work at the children's clinic when Sarada is old enough to attend the Academy, and hasn't said a word against it. She knows that his clan had been traditionalist, preferring their women to stay in the home and retire from whatever profession they'd held beforehand, but he seems content enough to allow her to follow her dreams. She'd put them on hold while raising Sarada, but she has every intent of going back.

"How was your trip?" She asks, marking her page and setting it aside. He accepts her kiss when she leans over. In public, Sasuke remains detached and distant, and he even seems a little awkward showing affection in front of Sarada or their close friends, but in private he's more relaxed about it. It's one of the things that makes Sakura laugh when people asked why they rarely touch in public.

"Fine." He looks at her as she settles against him, and his good arm goes around her shoulders, curling almost protectively. "I heard you attended while Hinata gave birth."

Sakura grins. It was the only time she'd come off her leave from the hospital in years—she'd made a promise to Naruto that she would be there to deliver his second baby. "I did, though it only took about three hours. It was an easy labour."

"The dobe wouldn't shut up about it when I ran into him." Sasuke grouses. "He made me look at _pictures_."

Sakura laughs. "Give him a break, he's excited."

"Hn."

They sit in silence for a little while, broken only when Sasuke gets up to make them tea. Sakura moves to the table while she watches him in the kitchen, a small smile on her lips as she thinks of Sarada's question. She really does want more children. She wonders if Sasuke would be opposed to the idea.

"What?" He asks, looking at her over his shoulder.

"What, what?" She laughs.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" He clarifies when she gets up to take the teapot while he brings over the cups.

She pours their tea and hums thoughtfully. "I was just thinking about something Sarada said today."

"What was it?"

She deliberately waits until he's set his cup down and swallowed his mouthful of tea before speaking; the last thing she wants him to do is choke on a hot liquid. "She was asking about getting brothers and sisters."

"Ah." She has to giggle as the tips of his ears turn pink, but otherwise he seems composed enough. "What did you tell her?"

"That we'd talk about it." Sakura takes a sip of her tea. "What do you think?" She asks.

He gives a small shrug. "To be honest, I never even thought we'd have _her_." He says quietly.

"So… you don't want another baby?" Sakura asks, feeling a little disappointed. She would never say that Sarada isn't enough for her, because she _is_ , but it would have been nice to have a few kids. But if he doesn't want to, she isn't going to force the issue.

"I didn't say that." He says quietly, sipping at his tea and averting his eyes. "You know I've always…" he falters. "It's not a case of wanting to or not. It's whether I _should_."

Sakura knows what he's talking about. Everything he'd done as a teenager plays through her mind—the defection, the killing, the pain he'd caused her and everyone dear to them. He is still afraid that, despite the measure of peace they've found together, he might eventually end up hurting them all again. If it hadn't been for Sarada's sharingan, perhaps he'd be able to look past all of that, but he'd confided to her one night that he was reminded of it all every time he looked at her glasses. That all he feels like he does is hurt the people dearest to him.

He wants more children. He's just afraid of hurting them, too.

"What do you want?" He asks suddenly, surprising her. She blinks into his dark eyes. He's looking so serious and contemplative that it brings her up short.

She looks down at her cup. "I've always wanted a few children." She admits. "I'd _like_ another baby, but I'm absolutely satisfied with just Sarada." She hastens to assure him.

"Hm." He makes a thoughtful little sound, turning to look out the window into the night. A hush falls over them, and she can practically hear the gears turning in his head.

"We don't… have to try right _now_." She says eventually, into the quiet. "It was just… an idea."

"If it's what you want, I don't… mind." He says slowly, his gaze fixed on the street light outside. Then, quietly, "Sarada's about the age Itachi was when I was born." Sakura sucks in a tiny gasp at the mention of his brother. He doesn't speak about his family often—the pain is too deep for that—but when he does it's always with tenderness and regret. He closes his eyes and sighs. "She'll be old enough to start learning the _katon_ soon."

"At _five_?" Sakura asks, incredulous.

"I mastered it at seven." Sasuke shrugs again. "I won't push her though." ' _Unlike my father_ ,' is heard echoing in the silence. Then, he says, surprising her, "I suppose I'll need your help with that."

"Huh?" She blinks at him.

He gives a small, regretful little smirk. "I can't show her the signs with just one hand."

She is silent for a moment, and then she blurts, "You could always accept the prosthetic Tsunade-sama made for you." At his incredulous look, she bites her lip. "She's kept it viable as a… personal favour to me."

"I see." He sounds slightly dumbfounded. Clearly, he hadn't thought that was an option anymore.

"I'll let you think about it." She stands, moving to rinse out her cup and leaving it in the sink to be washed up the next day. "You should bathe. You smell like dirt and sweat." She says as she passes him again, kissing him on the cheek.

He frowns at her as she chuckles, ducking into the hall and heading for their bedroom. She hears him shuffle around for a little while as she changes and settles into bed. She drowses to the sounds of the pipes running while he washes off. He comes in a little while later, calling her name softly into the dark.

"I'm awake." She rolls to face him as he moves to his side of the bed.

"About the arm…" he begins haltingly, standing awkwardly in the dark. She can faintly see his outline standing over her. "Tomorrow, could you…?"

"I'll call Shizune and set up an appointment."

She hears him breathe a sigh of relief as the bed dips. He slips under the blankets and she moves to meet him as he reaches for her, enjoying the feel of his lips on her jaw.

Later, she is pleased to note that he hadn't reached for their birth control.

* * *

It's an adjustment for Sasuke, having two arms again. After eight years, he's managed to adapt to doing everything one-handed, and having to re-learn how to use his left hand takes time. He doesn't have to go for regular check-ups or physiotherapy in the hospital, at least—Sakura performs those at home, saying there's no need unless something goes wrong or he develops an infection.

Sarada likes to hold his new hand when they go into town to run errands, and he lets her. Unlike Naruto, the skin tone is close enough to his real one that he doesn't bother to keep it wrapped in training bandages, except over the ugly scar where the prosthetic connects to the flesh of his arm. Sakura has offered to heal them to a fainter line, but he shakes it off, saying that he doesn't care what it looks like so long as it works.

Sakura first allows him to train with it three months after it was attached, and he all but _drags_ Naruto to the training grounds while Sakura trails behind, leading Sarada and holding a picnic basket over her free arm. Hinata and her children are also in attendance, and the women and children have a nice picnic under the trees ringing the training grounds while their husbands beat each other up with basic taijutsu. A triumphant Naruto and a sour Sasuke—Naruto had won their match—join them after lunch and squabble over the leftovers.

"Papa, do I have to be a shinobi?" Sarada asks during a lull in conversation. "Inojin said yesterday that all the kids in his clan have to be. We're part of a clan, right?"

Sakura and Sasuke look at each other while Naruto and Hinata shift uncomfortably. They haven't exactly decided _when_ to tell Sarada about the truth of the Uchiha clan, simply deciding telling her _later_. When she is older, and can understand. She knows that Sasuke's family is dead—Sakura had had that uncomfortable conversation before Sasuke had returned, when her daughter had asked about why they only had her parents as family, but Sakura never could figure out how to tell her that the whole clan is gone without giving her nightmares.

"No, you don't have to be a shinobi if you don't want to be." He says softly. "I'll teach you some things when you're older, but you don't have to use them."

She seems satisfied with that answer, turning instead to coo over baby Himawari when she begins to fuss. Both Sasuke and Sakura breathe a sigh of relief when she doesn't press further about the clan issue.

Sakura allows herself to be goaded into a spar with Naruto a little while later, delighting in her daughter's enthusiastic cheers as she leaves craters all over the training grounds. It's the first time Sarada has seen her in action. She knows her Mama is super strong—Sakura has, many a time, lifted the couch with one hand when a toy has disappeared underneath it—but she's never seen her fight before. Naruto wins, of course; Sakura is far too out of practice to stand a real chance.

"I have to start training again." She complains when they return to the picnic blanket, dropping next to Sasuke. "I haven't had any real time for the past few years."

"I know what you mean." Hinata has Himawari over her shoulder, trying to burp the baby. "I don't feel like I've left the house in months."

Sarada had climbed into Sasuke's lap while Sakura was gone, and she beams up at her. "That was amazing, Mama!" She crows.

Sakura beams at her. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"You Uchiha are getting soft on me." Naruto teases, leaning back on his hands and grinning. "Only about half of me is bruised."

"I can bruise the other half, if you like." Sasuke growls.

Naruto waves him off. "Nah, I'll manage. Besides, we should get going. Hiashi-san wants us to come over for dinner tonight."

They say their goodbyes while the blanket is folded and placed in the empty basket. Plans are made for dinner at the Uchiha residence the following weekend, and the two families part ways, each heading to their respective homes. Takeout is procured on their way, and the small family of three enjoy a quiet meal together before it's time for a yawning Sarada to have a bath and go to bed.

Sakura finds Sasuke doing the dishes after Sarada has drifted off, moving wordlessly to dry them with a cloth. It's a comfortable domesticity they've found since his return, and they find themselves content to listen to the sounds of the night outside while they tidy up.

"When's your next mission?" She asks eventually.

"Three days or so." He hands her another plate. "Kakashi offered me more medical leave, but I don't think I need it."

"Hmm." She nods. His arm has healed nicely; there isn't really a lot more for the recovery other than to build strength, which will happen naturally over time as he trains. "I've been thinking about going back to the hospital part time when Sarada starts at the Academy in a few months."

He nods wordlessly.

"You don't mind, do you?"

"Why would I mind?"

She shrugs, placing the stack of dried dishes away while he drains the water. "Ino said something yesterday about her mother complaining that Sai lets her work. I know some clans are pretty touchy about it."

Sasuke scoffs. "We're not Yamanaka." He points out as they settle on the couch.

"No, but I know the Uchiha were conservative." She says slowly.

"Even if I told you no, you'd still do it anyway, wouldn't you?" His voice is strangely calm. She wonders if she's made him angry.

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then why bother asking the question?" He raises an eyebrow at her. "I'm not my father, Sakura. I'm not going to demand that you end your career because you're the mother of my child, now. I always expected you would go back when the time was right."

She beams at him. "Good, because I didn't want to have to take that arm back off while I was twisting it."

He just rolls his eyes as she reaches up to peck him on the lips.

* * *

As it turns out, the choice is taken away from her a week before Sarada is due to begin classes.

She'd gone into the hospital for a check-up after missing a period, and is delighted to learn that she is expecting. They haven't exactly been _trying_ for a baby, but they haven't been actively guarding against it either. Shizune fills her out a prescription for supplements and congratulates her, sending her on her way with little more ceremony. She stops by the office and asks them to remove her from the roster, which is met with some grumbling, but by the time she leaves the building it has all been taken care of.

Sasuke is home when she arrives, doing a kata out the back, while Sarada reads one of her children's books to the stuffed dinosaur that had once been her father's on the porch. Sakura joins her, peering at the book with interest. It isn't one she bought; it's relatively new, which means that it's a recent addition, probably a gift from her parents.

Her husband begins to wind down when he notices her. "How did it go?" He asks when he approaches, eyes lingering on her stomach before meeting her gaze. She'd voiced her suspicions the night before, when telling him she was going in for a check-up.

She beams. "Positive." She says. His eyes widen a fraction.

"What is?" Sarada looks between them, confused.

Sakura looks at her daughter thoughtfully. "Do you remember when you said you wanted a baby brother or sister?" She asks. Sarada nods. "Well, I'm going to have a baby."

Sarada's eyes sparkle. " _Really_?"

Sakura nods enthusiastically. "Really, really."

She braces herself as Sarada lurches forward to hug her, but the impact never comes. Sasuke has looped an arm around the girl's waist, holding her back. "Careful." He scolds.

Sakura laughs as Sarada squirms out of his hold and throws her arms around her mother's neck. "Oh, come on, Anata. I'm not suddenly made of glass." She wraps her arms around her daughter, who begins babbling excitedly.

His ears turn pink, but he says nothing as he sits next to them. She watches him from the corner of her eye and is pleased to see his lips twitching up into a tiny smile as he meets her eye.

* * *

 **I'm leaving the work marked as complete, because there probably wont be any real concrete story. If I add more, they'll stand alone.**


End file.
